Town’s U23s ended their Professional Development League Two South season on an emphatic note by thrashing Coventry City 6-0 at Portman Road. Ben Morris and Flynn Downes both scored twice and Adam McDonnell and Ben Folami once each as Gerard Nash’s side dominated from beginning to end.
The young Blues made a positive start with Albert Wilton making a break down the right in the opening minute but Sky Blues keeper Corey Addai claimed his low cross at a stretch.
In the second minute striker Ben Morris mis-hit a low shot wide from the edge of the area but less than a minute later the England U18 international put the Blues in front.
Having been played in on goal the 17-year-old finished with his usual confidence, finding the inside of the net off keeper Addai’s right hand.
The Blues immediately went looking for a second, passing the ball around slickly in the visitors’ half with Wilton always a danger on the right.
Coventry threatened for the first time on 11, Lewis Green scuffing a shot through to Michael Crowe, referee Lloyd Wood having waved play on after Corrie Ndaba had collided with a Coventry attacker. ""Play continued and Flynn Downes went close to making it 2-0 to Town with low shot across the face of goal from the right of the area from a Morris pass, before Ndaba was booked for the earlier challenge.
Adam McDonnell, the only player in the Town team with first-team experience, shot straight at Addai on 14, then three minutes later Kelly-Evans forced Crowe to parry behind with a strike from a tight angle on the left.
From the resultant corner, Chris Camwell curled a shot from not far outside the area just beyond Crowe’s left post.
On 22 Town deservedly doubled their lead. After a sharp interchange of passes involving Morris and James Blanchfield, Wilton fired a low ball across the six-yard box, which Morris turned past Addai.
Six minutes later it was 3-0. McDonnell exchanged passes with Australian striker Ben Folami on the left of the area before slotting the ball past Addai.
In the 31st minute Folami was felled just outside the area and Morris smashed the freekick into the wall before volleying the rebound over.
Wilton shot wide after a Town break following a rare Coventry attack, Tom Bayliss picking up a yellow card for a foul on McDonnell in the build-up.
On 35 Ndaba crossed deep from the left, Luke Woolfenden nodded back across goal from the far post and Morris turned a volley against a defender.
Eight minutes later, Woolfenden was booked for frustratedly slamming the ball into the ground after a throw had been awarded to Coventry, before Dan Smith headed tamely wide for the visitors.
Just before the whistle, Blanchfield sent Folami away but a defender got across to dispossess the striker.
Nice end to the season with a 6-0 win against Coventry ✌ðŸ¼âš½ï¸– James Blanchfield (@JamesBlanchy) April 24, 2017
The young Blues were applauded off at the break after an entertaining and dominant first-half display against a Coventry side which had offered little.
Two-goal Morris was replaced by Jack Lankester at half-time and the first-year scholar was quickly into the action, cutting in from the left and hitting a low shot which Addai saved with his boot.
The Blues extended their lead in the 54th minute with a sweeping move. Downes fed Blanchfield as he broke into the area on the left and the ex-Arsenal youngster cut across to Lankester, whose shot was blocked by Addai. However, midfielder Downes - praised in recent weeks by manager Mick McCarthy who watched the first half from the directors’ box - followed up to make it 4-0.
Two minutes later, Downes hit a powerful strike from distance following a corner which Addai did well to save down to his right, then on 62 Blanchfield was yellow-carded for a foul on Kelly-Evans.
In the 63rd minute Town made it five. The increasingly influential Downes exchanged a one-two with Lankester as he broke into the area. Addai saved his first effort at goal but the loose ball fell to the midfielder, who stroked it over the line from a matter of inches.
Six minutes later, Wilton forced Addai to save down to his left with a shot from the right of the box then, following the resultant corner, Lankester cut in and hit a low strike which the keeper claimed at the second attempt.
Coventry sub Kyle Finn shot wide for the Sky Blues on 69, then a minute later Town made it six with the best goal of the evening, Folami cutting in from the left before lashing a powerful right-foot strike across Addai and into the net.
The visitors had their best chance of the night in the 74th minute when Smith was sent scampering away beyond the Blues backline but the striker hit his shot over both the advancing Crowe and the bar.
Wilton was replaced by Ross Meldrum for the final 15 minutes, then shortly afterwards Crowe was off his line quickly to stab away from Green after he was played in on the right of the area.
Just before the whistle, Jordan Thompson was booked for a foul on Lankester with the Sky Blues’ frustration showing on a night when they were outclassed by Town’s youngsters.
Town’s victory was as comfortable as it comes with the result never looking in doubt from the opening minutes.
Morris once again clinically took his early chances - although his goals were overshadowed by strike partner Folami's brilliant strike - to take his season's total to 14 before being withdrawn at the break.
First-team involvement can't be too far away, if not in the remaining games of this campaign then certainly in pre-season.
The midfield dominated their Coventry counterparts throughout with Downes and McDonnell thoroughly deserving their goals well-worked goals and Blanchfield and Wilton also impressive, while the Town defence rarely looked in much trouble. Sub Lankester also made his mark after the break.
The result sees the U23s climb above the Sky Blues into fifth in the Professional Development League Two South table but with the Midlanders and Colchester, who are eighth, each still having one game to play.
U23s: Crowe, Woolfenden, Ndaba, C Smith (c), Webber, Blanchfield, McDonnell, Downes, Folami, Morris (Lankester 46), Wilton (Meldrum 75). Unused: Marsden, Cahill, McGavin.
Coventry: Addai, Green, Camwell, Shipley, Thompson, Harries, Spence (Spence 46), Bayliss (Doyle 60), D Smith, Kelly-Evans (c) (Eccles 87), Sayoud. Unused: Naylor.